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Keydar - Monastery Mar Saba - Almog (Judea Desert)Short description:
This magnificent in its beauty and strangeness route passes through all the Arab territories of the Judea desert, under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, guarded only by the Palestinian police and populated by only real masters of the desert - Bedouins.
Actually, I didn’t notice any particular hostility by the Bedouins. Along the way we got attention only from the hungry kids, riding their personal donkey like transport, which annoyingly begging for sweets, drinks and cigarettes...
(By the way, take some candies with you, but be prepared for that: by eating your treats, they will not leave you alone for a long time).
But Bethlehem (Beit Lahm) is not far away and the Israeli travelers in those sensitive areas can be an easiest prey for the terrorists.
Therefore, in any case I will not recommend you to tempt fate and take this route. I describe it in purely evaluation purposes!
Information is provided by IgorSk
Full description, technical information and files...
This magnificent in its beauty and strangeness route passes through all the Arab territories of the Judea desert, under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, guarded only by the Palestinian police and populated by only real masters of the desert - Bedouins.
Actually, I didn’t notice any particular hostility by the Bedouins. Along the way we got attention only from the hungry kids, riding their personal donkey like transport, which annoyingly begging for sweets, drinks and cigarettes...
(By the way, take some candies with you, but be prepared for that: by eating your treats, they will not leave you alone for a long time).
But Bethlehem (Beit Lahm) is not far away and the Israeli travelers in those sensitive areas can be an easiest prey for the terrorists.
Therefore, in any case I will definitely not recommend you to tempt the fate and take this route. I describe it in purely evaluation purposes!
If you didn’t listening to me, at least take some weapons, and even better, a couple of military jeeps for support, maps, GPS, biker’s front light and be careful. I'm serious.
Car positioning at the ends of the tracks will take about an hour. Leave rest of the cars at the end of the route, meaning “Almog” junction, in the gas station (see roadmap) or in the parking, right behind her. You have to come back to the start position with the minimum number of vehicles and leave them near the gate of the settlement Keydar, or at the gate within the settlement if you got permission from the military guard, and merge in to the route.
The major part of the track passes off road, and if you are in average fitness and also have a sufficient technical skill, the entire route is practically fordable for you. Otherwise, you can pass afoot over some severe climbs and descents, which are hopefully rare.
Along the way you will get in to the many small caves- hermitages, in which the ancient people are hided from the hot sun and bad weather, and in our times apparently used by Bedouins for the same purpose of grazing cattle. One such interesting unfinished cave under the house, for example, is at point number 43 (hereafter see map).
For the first time you will see the creek “Kidron” at the point number 44, affluent year-round, carrying their sewage water from Maale Adomim and Bethlehem in the direction of the Dead Sea, but also flowing into it, primarily during heavy rains, and goes along it.
What are chemical solutions it provides can only guess on piled over abundance of white foam, similar to snow.
The spectacle is so beautiful, of course, but take an example from the Bedouins, which would not be persuaded to get into the water, and do not enter there to swim, because it is dangerous to your health and life!
At the point 58 you will have an excellent opportunity to check whether you suffer from fear of heights (acrophobia). You will need to deviate from the main track to boldly overcome the creek “Kidron” on a 3-meters height. Moreover, you should pass it through two metal profiles thrown over him as a bridge, and do it twice: moving to the main attraction of your trip (the old and very famous Greek monastery of Mar Saba) and then returning him to join the main route.
The real fun begins from the bridge. Climbing the steep and rocky unpaved road to Mar Saba Monastery, you will be noticed at some point, that the usual view of desert suddenly changes, becoming a grand and ambitious: at your left side a 80-meters monumental and very beautiful valley creek “Kidron”, hiding around the corner, and in front, as if carved from the rocks, appears the monastery itself.
The entrances to the monastery was secured only by a Palestinian policeman and a few antediluvian Palestinian bus drivers, delivered palmers through Bethlehem, mostly from Russia and Ukraine. I don’t know what they thought about us, when we passed through by large crowd, and I will not say what we thought, but apparently we didn’t have any claims to each other.
I will not describe an ancient monastery itself, which undeservedly was not ranked among the 8-th world miracle and very cleverly inscribed in the rock, amazing hospitality and friendliness of its monks – there is a ton of information available over the internet, see here or here.
Let me draw your attention: woman entering to the monastery is strictly prohibited (they should wait at the entrance, and men should be dressed in long trousers). Any headdress should be removed (in our case, a helmet and bandana) upon entering the tomb of St. Sava and the church.
Impressed, I even wrote an essay about the trip in general and about the monastery in particular. Of course, I do not pretend on the literary prize, but I hope, you can get further understanding of the spirit of our trip (in Russian).
After enjoying plenty of the monasteries itself, the surrounding views from the valley to the creek (wadi) Kidron, listening story from the monks, drinking water and coffee, and replenished, if necessary, with the permission of the monks, water supplies, you leave it and continue on your way.
Returning to the creek Kidron, at this time you are more easily pass the ill-fated bridge and you will start long 80-meters climb from the point number 98. However, the remainder of the route, except for three upcoming hills will be simpler: mainly descent, sometimes steep and rocky, but mostly on unpaved roads, and from the point number 132 - asphalt.
This sweet word «camp» ... Unfortunately, in the hot desert there are only few places to hide from the scorching sun under the rare trees, but if the second part of your route does not pass at noon, you can escape to relax, lunch and tea in the shade of roadside cliffs. We actually did it at point number 116. You can follow our example, or seek a suitable place for this in advance.
In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the loss of time, equipment damage or injury, the route can be reduced, but in one single place - at point number 143. In this case do not turn right on unpaved road in this point, but continue straight over the asphalt road until the road number 1. By having reached that, you turn right and continue to the finish.
At this gas station, as well as on each other, respecting themselves, there is a cafe, where you will strengthen your weakened body by one of the many varieties of coffee and ice-cream. Cool your body and saturate it, depending on your capabilities and needs. There are also toilets exists.
Then dipping your and your colleague bikes, which left their cars at the very beginning, you finish the logistics of the route and with a sense of accomplishment, driving home.
Good Luck!
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